PROPOSAL: Sam Allardyce believes a winter break in the Premier League would benefit everyone [GETTY]

The Hammers manager is likely to be without two of his key players for tomorrow's visit to Everton.

Winger Stewart Downing picked up a knee problem in England's 3-1 win over Scotland on Tuesday, while Senegal international Diafra Sakho sat out an Africa Cup of Nations tie against Botswana because of a back injury.

Allardyce now feels it is time England follows the lead of Spanish and German football and brings in a winter break to make sure top stars can extend their careers.

The Hammers boss said: "The load of constant performance at the highest level takes its toll across the whole of the Premier League.

"The demand on the players is so great for so long that eventually they're going to break down. If you look at the load placed this year on players, it's greater than ever before.

"Not only do they travel at international level across the world but the constant pressure of the league is getting faster and more demanding, physically and mentally.

“The demand on the players is so great for so long that eventually they're going to break down”

Sam Allardyce

"We still don't look after our players as well as other countries because we don't put in a couple of weeks break in January for everybody to re-charge the batteries.

"At the end of the season players will be called up for qualifiers again and friendlies. Then there are pre-season tours in America because the money is great - it's a constant vicious circle that is putting them under risk of injury all the time.

"Our Christmas period is traditionally something we always have to keep. But players don't half get some stick when they've played their fourth game in eight days and people are saying they don't look sharp.

"A player can shorten his career by a considerable amount if injuries become constant. Instead of doing 12 years, they end up doing six or seven.

"The time they have to rest is fewer and further between and that ultimately ends up with players never really recovering fully enough to go into the next game."